Clean Water, Stronger Communities: OSSEDI’s Integrated WASH Progress in Machinga

Between August and September 2026, OSSEDI implemented targeted water infrastructure interventions under the Climate Just Communities (CJC) Bridging Project across Traditional Authority (T/A) Ngokwe in Machinga District. To resolve severe operational breakdowns that exposed rural households to waterborne diseases and long collection journeys, OSSEDI's technical team rehabilitated six priority non-functional boreholes located at Naituli, Mwepeta, Mpacha, Mateketa Primary School, Lumeta, and Makuche, Works involved installing genuine AFRIDEV hand pump components at an average cylinder depth of 31 meters, repairing concrete aprons, washing slabs, and drainage channels, and executing volumetric yield testing prior to handover. These physical interventions restored 100% operational functionality across all six sites, establishing clean, reliable drinking water access for 393 households comprising 5,049 residents (2,174 men and 2,875 women).
To ensure the long-term sustainability of these restored facilities, OSSEDI complemented physical works with structured capacity building for local Water Point Committees (WPCs) at all six locations using the national Community-Based Management (CBM) framework. The refresher training equipped committee members with key technical and financial management skills, focusing on community tariff setting, transparent cash-book accounting, routine preventive maintenance schedules, AFRIDEV troubleshooting, and water point sanitation. By embedding catchment area protection, hygiene promotion, and gender-inclusive decision-making into local governance, the initiative established strong community ownership to maintain long-term water security across T/A Ngokwe.
#OSSEDI #Climatejustice #sustainabledevelopment.